climate

Smokestacks owned mostly by American Electric Power billow emissions from the Conesville Power Plant in Conesville, Ohio. The Supreme Court recently ruled that the authority to seek reductions in power plant emissions rests with the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

12:00AM

June20, 2011

American Electric Power of Columbus today says it welcomes a U-S Supreme Court ruling in an air pollution case. The high court blocked a federal lawsuit by states and conservation groups against AEP and four other utilities seeking limits on carbon dioxide emissions.

After years of effort, Ohio State Professors Michael Chan and Joseph Krycki have developed a picture of a unique protein. It’s found in microbes that are common in many environments around the world, and it’s responsible for most of the natural production of the greenhouse gas methane.

A group of unlikely partners in Ohio has come together to support tougher environmental regulations. It urges Congress to pass the Climate Security Act. The group also wants Ohio to become a leader in alternative energy industries.

An estimated 100 people turned out at the Ohio Statehouse during the week-end to draw attention to climate change. The demonstration was part of a larger national effort to gain popular support for so-called “green” policies to reduce global warming. While recent climate reports indicate average temperatures are rising. One National Weather Service official says he’s skeptical about climate predictions and extrapolations of current trends.

The Ohio Farmers Union this year unveils a new program to pay farmers for storing carbon on their land. The payments begin just as new reports surface that point to carbon dioxide emissions as a prime factor in global warming. But, at least one agricultural economist says the so-called carbon credits program will make little difference in the economics of farming.